


CollectiveStuck Guardians

by LawrenceFriday



Series: CollectiveStuck [3]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Session, Gen, Humanstuck, Original Characters - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-29
Updated: 2015-08-19
Packaged: 2018-03-26 09:02:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3845086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LawrenceFriday/pseuds/LawrenceFriday
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A side story to CollectiveStuck. http://archiveofourown.org/works/3592641/chapters/7923708.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A woman stands in a classroom.

Your name is JEANE GARRISON.

This is where you teach high school mathematics - algebra, trigonometry, and pre-calculus. You've decorated your classroom with INSTRUCTIONAL POSTERS, reminding your students how to factor properly. FOIL - First, Outer, Inner, Last. Some of the posters include inspirational quotes; one shows a cat dangling from a rope by its claws. You hang in there, kitty.

Not all of your posters are hung in this room. Some are pinned up in the teacher break room, where those of your coworkers who don’t have permanent rooms keep a desk for grading papers. Your son shares your DRY WIT, and he bought you a couple of posters that aren’t appropriate for a class environment. Hanging over the math department’s refrigerator is a picture of a carton of French fries with the caption “Not everyone gets to be an astronaut when they grow up.” If the parents of some of your students saw that, they’ll have a cow.

The school day is over, but you aren’t free to leave yet. After the final bell rings, you’re expected to stay in your room for an hour to provide tutoring and allow makeups for missed quizzes. It’s rare that you have a student stay after, even though some of them really should. You want your students to do well, but some of them are just complete slackers. There’s only so much you can do when someone doesn’t show up to class and won’t do the homework. They have to meet you halfway.

As always during your after-school shifts, you pull out a book to pass the time. You are an AVID READER, a trait you picked up from your LOVING MOTHER. She introduced you to fantastical worlds and grand adventures, and you’ve never been without a book on hand since you were a girl. You can burn through a book in a week, and your library card sees a great deal of use. The librarian knows you by name, and she always texts you when a new release arrives.

You’ve passed your love of literature on to your son Steve, and it warms your heart to see that he loves stories as much as you do. He’s even hooked you on a few authors you wouldn’t have tried otherwise. You’re reading one of his books now, a story about people with magic based on consuming metals. It’s fascinating to see such a well-imagined world and magical system.

Steve is probably home by now. Last night over dinner he was raving about a new game he planned to play this afternoon. You don’t quite understand his fascination with video games, but you’re supportive. It looks like he’s found what he wants to do with his life, and you want him to be happy doing it.

Your phone buzzes. It’s not the librarian’s ringtone. You’ve befriended several of your son’s friends’ parents; some of them go to your church, but the rest you’ve met when driving Steve around. For the most part they’re amiable, and you’ve hit it off wonderfully.

Your AdultAffairs appellation is mathMatriarch, and your perusal of paperbacks has left you with impeccable grammar and an extensive vocabulary

\-- reelRangler [RR] attempts to address mathMatriarch [MM] \--

RR: jeane!  
RR: hows the turnout  
MM: quiet as always  
MM: for a faint moment i had hoped that jared would stop by to make up his quiz  
MM: it looks like i'll be calling his mother again tonight  
RR: for reals  
RR: how many times have u talked to her  
MM: this will make four  
RR: sheesh  
MM: i asked him today if there was a freshman girl he had his eye on  
RR: lol  
MM: he was indignant and said no  
MM: so i told him with his grades he should start looking  
RR: looooooool  
RR: omg jeane  
MM: i'm going to have to talk to his mother anyway  
MM: i might as well deserve it  
RR: thats why we love u jeane  
MM: how’s business over there?  
RR: now that the kids are out of school maybe itll pick up  
RR: tuesdays not really a great date night but still  
MM: i'm sure you’ll find something to occupy your time  
RR: ugh theres the phone  
RR: prolly bill calling out again  
RR: catcha l8r jeane

\-- reelRangler [RR] announced an adieu to mathMatriarch [MM] \--

You turn back to your book pensively. Steve did mention wanting to catch the new spy flick this weekend, and you don’t have any other plans. That sounds like fun.


	2. Chapter 2

A business man stands in his office.

Your name is WILLIAM CARSTEN.  
  
You are the CEO of Carsten Financial, a well-regarded consulting firm for monetary matters. It was built by your grandfather, the first William Carsten, and your father passed it on to you. In time, you will pass it on to your son, when he grows out of his foolish mechanical fixation. As is now tradition, you named him after your father. Your office is extremely orderly and perfectly suited to your STRICT ROUTINE. In the mornings, you take your black coffee and read the stock overview. Late morning into lunch you meet with clients, making deals and signing contracts. You eat a healthy meal and hit the gym for some light cardio. A SOUND MIND requires a SOUND BODY, and you must be at the top of your game to stay competitive in the fast-paced world of finance. Afternoons are spent dealing with your staff. You hold them to the same high standard you hold yourself.  
It's that time now. According to your agenda, you have an appointment with one of your subordinates working in the field. He should have the deal closed by now.

Your AdultAffairs appelation is efficiencyExpert [EE] and you are succinct. TIME IS MONEY, after all.

\-- efficiencyExpert [EE] attempts to address contractCraftsman [CC]\--

EE: It's 2:00.  
CC: sorry sir  
CC: our lunch ran long  
EE: You've made the deal, then.  
CC: signed and sealed  
EE: I expect it on my desk before close of business.

\-- efficiencyExpert [EE] announced an adieu to contractCraftsman [CC]\--

Some would say that you're too hard on your staff. You never offer congratulations; there's always room for improvement, and you can't afford to rest on your laurels. Of course, you would never expect more out of them than you would yourself. Only by constantly pushing yourself can you grow.

It's a lesson you've been trying to instill in Greg since he was old enough to speak. Carstens have to be the best, and the best are never satisfied. He's done you proud - a perfect 4.0 GPA and president of a club, even if it is frivolous.

Still, never let it be said that hard work goes unrewarded. When he wins the robot competition, as he should, you intend to take him to your favorite restaurant for a victory dinner. It's the same place your father took you when you presented him with your perfectly graded thesis.

You look back at your agenda. There are still many meetings to go before the day is done, and you still need to draft the agenda for tomorrow. PRIOR PLANNING PREVENTS POOR PERFORMANCE.


	3. Chapter 3

A young woman stands outside her house.

Your name is VANESSA NESTORE.

Sitting in front of you is your baby, KITT. He's not an actual intelligent car, but he is a gorgeous black Mustang convertible. When the weather is nice, you put the top down and tear up the town. Somehow, despite your insistence on driving fast and wild, you've never received a speeding ticket. It could be your RAVISHING GOOD LOOKS, but it's probably just good luck.

It took almost a year of penny pinching, but you scraped together the money to buy him from a local dealer. You currently work at the local cinema, shelling tickets to terrible summer blockbusters while you work on your arthouse darling. Film is your passion, and you dream of making it big on the silver screen. Some of your fellow college dropouts have starred in the short pictures you direct and edit, hoping to make a name for themselves. One of your films even won an award at the local film festival, although that doesn't exactly mean much. The town you're in isn't exactly big on Hollywood's radar.

You can't quite devote your full attention to your movie career, though. A lot of your time is spent keeping an eye on your little sis. She's smart, creative, and not a little bit beautiful, like you at her age but better. While she would never admit it, she's got a real talent with a pen or a brush, and you won't let her make the same mistakes you made. She's going to school to hone those skills, and she's going to be a famous painter or whatever the proper Japanese term for it is. You don't entirely understand her fascination with manga or anime (those are different, right?). but you encourage her to do what she loves. Her sketches are fantastic.

She drives your old car, CHRISTINE. You make a habit out of naming inanimate objects after film characters. It keeps you constantly reminded of the things that inspired you, and you're pretty sure that one day it'll pay off. Inspiration will strike, attracted to all of the celebrity you keep, and you'll finally finish that screenplay that will leave critics and audiences alike in tears. Christine was a loyal companion, and you know that she'll keep your sis safe and sound. It cost a lot to make her worthy of STEPHANIE's service, but you would spare no expense.

You had to make sure that she was off to school before you could head to work. Steph dragged her feet this morning; you're pretty sure that she was trying to get that new game installed. She's not the biggest fan of video games that don't come from Japan, but you can read her like a book. Obviously this is part of a plan to get closer to that guy she likes. If he doesn't recognize how great she is, you may have to step in and beat some sense into him. Your sis deserves someone who'll treat her right.

But you're getting distracted again. You need to tell your boss that you'll be a little late.

Your AdultAffairs appelation is sneakySage [SS], and your kind of lax when it comes to typing rules

\-- sneakySage [SS] attempts to address reelRangler [RR] \--

SS: hey ms o  
RR:: hey nessa  
RR: whats up  
SS: gonna be a few minutes late  
SS: had to get steph off to skool  
RR: awwwwww  
RR: no worries  
RR: gotta put fam first  
RR: dan can cover til you get here  
SS: ha he doesnt do much anyway  
RR: srsly  
RR: i should fire him  
SS: nah  
SS: hes got kids to feed  
RR: ugh  
RR: we r too nice nessa  
SS: part of being adults right  
RR: i guess  
RR: take ur time  
RR: well still be here  
SS: thanks ms o  
SS: i wont be long  


\-- sneakySage [SS] announceded an adieu to reelRangler [RR] \--

Your boss is really cool. It helps that her daughter and your sis are friends.

You shouldn't keep her waiting any longer than you have to. KITT's all gassed up and ready. You have the feeling it's going to be a long day.


	4. Chapter 4

Traffic.

You hate traffic. It’s almost impossible to plan properly for traffic. Inevitably someone careless will pay insufficient attention to the road, and you’ll be stuck waiting for the authorities to take a proper statement. The only positive is that this happened on your commute home rather than forcing you to arrive to work late. You make a mental note that this route has a higher possibility of reckless driving. You may need to adjust your morning routine for that.

The sound of your PDA chirping cuts your important train of thought. Ordinarily, you would find an exit and pull over to the side of the road. You are important enough that any messages you receive must be urgent, but you won’t be one of the fools who causes an accident by texting while driving. Not once have you ever done something to raise your insurance premiums, and you certainly won’t start today.

\-- audaciousArchitect [AA] attempted to address efficiencyExpert [EE] \--

AA: Dad?  
EE: You know not to send me messages unless it’s urgent.  
AA: I just  
AA: You’re late getting home. I was worried.  
EE: I’m being held up by traffic.  
EE: Even were I not, I would have pulled over to check your message, and I would be late.  
AA: Sorry, Dad.  
AA: I’ll go.

\-- audaciousArchitect [AA] announced an adieu to efficiencyExpert [EE] \--

You wonder what brought that on. He’s ordinarily far more thoughtful than that. You may have to have another talk with him about the importance of your time. When a client calls, you need to be able to answer them without interruptions. Those deals are what allow the two of you to live such a comfortable life.

It must be this heat. September isn’t ordinarily this warm. You’re even considering turning on the air conditioning in your fine car. While it would be an unnecessary drain on your gas tank, you’d hate to sweat on your fine leather seats. Maybe just this once, you’ll concede to climatical tyranny.

As you reach for the dial, your PDA chirps again.

When you pick it up, you see something utterly inconceivable.

A blank message.

\-- anonymousAdvisor [AA] attempted to address efficiencyExpert [EE] -–

AA: Hello, Mister Carsten.

Raising an eyebrow, you set your PDA back down on your briefcase in the passenger seat. How strange.

It chirps again.

AA: Don’t worry. I’ll wait.

You swipe with your finger, highlighting the area.

\-- anonymousAdvisor [AA] attempted to address efficiencyExpert [EE] -–

 AA: Hello, Mister Carsten.  
AA: Don’t worry. I’ll wait.  
EE: Who is this?  
EE: White is not one of the acceptable text colors in AdultAffairs. I can only assume you’ve tampered with your installation.  
AA: I have done no such thing.  
AA: It’s simply my little amusing quirk.  
EE: I don’t see how this is supposed to be amusing.  
AA: It amuses me.  
EE: I am on the road. I don’t have time to waste on foolish nonsense.  
AA: Then you’ll be pleased to hear I don’t partake in nonsense, foolish or otherwise.  
AA: I’m simply relaying a message.  
EE: What message?  
AA: That I am here.  
EE: And?  
AA: That is the message.  
EE: I don’t understand.  
AA: You will.  
AA: Soon, you and I will be working together.  
AA: As such, you need to know that I am here.  
AA: And when you need me, I will be waiting.  


\-- anonymousAdvisor [AA] announced an adieu to efficiencyExpert [EE] \--

What kind of nuisance was that? Someone has far too much time on their hands if they break the user licensing agreement, change their font to an unreadable color, and send cryptic messages to people whose time is incredibly valuable.

You’re about to send a message back when the traffic ahead finally starts moving.

You decide it’s not worth getting upset over and take your foot off the brake. It’s better not to give him the satisfaction.


End file.
